On September 10, 1679, the General Court of the Massachusetts Colony “sitting at Boston in New-England” called on the churches throughout the region “to send their Elders and Messengers” for the purpose of answering two questions: “What are the evils that have provoked the Lord to bring His judgments on New-England?” and “What is to be done so that these evils may be reformed?”
Imagine the government calling for such a meeting in our day! Barring a miracle, it’s not likely to happen. Yet what’s so amazing about The Synod of 1679 is that the assembly’s answers to the above questions could serve as an adequate and accurate response in light of where we are right now, 318 years later!
For the next few blog postings, I want to share with you the findings of this council, which were recorded by John Foster in 1679 and published in Richard Owen Roberts‚Äô book, Sanctify the Congregation (Wheaton, IL: International Awakening Press, 1994). In response to the first question, “What are the evils that have provoked the Lord to bring His judgments on New-England?”, there were fourteen answers. Here is a summary of the first seven answers:
1. There is a great and visible decay of the power of godliness amongst many professors in these churches. It may be feared that there is in too many a spiritual and heart apostasy from God. For this reason communion with Him in the ways of worship, especially in secret, is much neglected and thus men cease to know and fear and love and trust in Him but take up their contentment and satisfaction in something else.
2. The pride that abounds in New-England testifies against us (Hosea 5:5; Ezekiel 7:10). There is spiritual pride (Zephaniah 3:11). . . .
3. Church fellowship and other divine institutions are greatly neglected. . . . There are too many that, with profane Esau, slight spiritual privileges.
4. There is also a great profaneness in respect to irreverent behavior in the solemn worship of God. It is a frequent thing for men [to] give way to their own sloth and sleepiness when they should be serving God with attention and intention. . . .
5. There are multitudes who profanely absent themselves from the public worship of God on His holy day, especially in the most populous places of the land.
6. There are many families that do not pray to God constantly, morning and evening, and many more where the Scriptures are not daily read so that the Word of Christ might dwell richly in them . . . . There are children that are not kept in due subjection, their parents especially being sinfully indulgent toward them. This is a sin which brings great judgments, as we see in Eli’s and David’s families. . . . Most of the sin that abound among us proceed from defects in family government.
7. Inordinate passions. There are sinful heats and hatreds and reproachful and reviling expressions among church members themselves, who abound with evil surmising, uncharitable and unrighteous censures, back-biting and hearing and telling tales. There are few that remember and duly observe the rule to drive away the tale bearer with an angry countenance. . . . In managing the discipline of Christ’s Church there are far too many who act by their passions and prejudices more than by a spirit of love and faithfulness to their brother’s soul. All these things are against the law of Christ and therefore dreadful violations of the Church Covenant made in the presence of God.
To be continued. . .